Ryan Tedder’s bittersweet melodies and soaring hooks have dominated pop music since the singer/songwriter/producer’s 2006 smash hit “Apologize” with his band OneRepublic. The Grammy-nominated piano ballad, boosted by hip-hop producer Timbaland’s remix version, introduced the world to Tedder’s golden touch—a blend of romantic idealism and relentless drama with anthemic, genre-blending flair. Born in 1979 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tedder began honing this aesthetic when he was a kid, first taking to the piano at age three, then singing at church, and eventually finishing high school in Colorado, where he met future OneRepublic guitarist Zach Filkins. The pair headed to Los Angeles to form the band in 2002. And while building up OneRepublic, Tedder wrote and produced songs for other artists, including Natasha Bedingfield, Hillary Duff, and Jennifer Lopez. Around the time OneRepublic released their 2007 debut album, Dreaming Out Loud, Tedder was also flooding the charts as a co-writer and co-producer for hard-hitting ballads like Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love” and Beyonce’s “Halo.” Since then, he’s been virtually unstoppable, racking up even bigger hits with OneRepublic like 2009’s strings-soaked stunner “Secrets,” 2013’s snappy folk bop “Counting Stars,” and 2020’s electro-pop slow-burner “Didn’t I.” In between, he’s continued to expand on a mind-boggling list of writing and production credits: He’s helped bring out Adele’s bluesiest belting on 2011’s “Rumour Has It,” added a little synth-pop sweetness to Taylor Swift’s sincerity on 2014’s “Welcome to New York,” given Paul McCartney an extra dose of youthful fun on 2018’s “Fuh You,” and captured Miley Cyrus’ innate ‘80s-rocker ferocity on 2020’s Plastic Hearts—to name a few. Wherever Tedder goes next, it’s sure to be a hit.